The second 26-goal final of the 2017 season was a tale of two games — the second installment of which went a lot better than the first for Valiente, which turned around a lingering first-half deficit to a 9-6 win in the 2017 USPA Gold Cup Final over Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola came out blazing in the first chukker, looking fiercely determined, as Julian de Lusarreta completed a slick run off a pass from Miguel Novillo Astrada to open the scoring. Shortly after, Julio Arellano converted a safety to give Coca-Cola an early 2-0 lead. With Arellano and Valiente’s Diego Cavanagh both top-rate penalty shooters, both teams needed to avoid fouling.
That remained the case through two chukkers, as Valiente was held without a penalty attempt and Coca-Cola used strong teamwork to control open play. Coca-Cola shot at goal four times in the second chukker, converting two of those attempts. Gillian Johnston finished off a Coca-Cola drive, and de Lusarreta completed a knock-in play. Coca-Cola handily increased its lead to 4-1, putting pressure on a Valiente team that has rarely trailed this season.
Coca-Cola continued to do an effective job containing Matias Torres Zavaleta up front and not allowing Adolfo Cambiaso to be unmarked at any time, but foul trouble allowed Valiente to make its way back into the game.
Four Coca-Cola fouls in the third chukker resulted in three penalty attempts for Valiente. Cavanagh converted two of them, while Astrada converted a penalty 2 for Coca-Cola. Valiente closed the gap and got back within two goals, trailing 5-3 at halftime.
Valiente emerged from the break invigorated and began to seize control. Cambiaso put a long shot through the goalposts from 60 yards out early in the fourth chukker to give Valiente all the momentum. Cavanagh, the leading scorer in the tournament, proceeded to take over the game in the fourth and fifth chukkers. He made four consecutive goals — three from the penalty line and one from the field — to bring his goal total for the game to six and turn a tense game into an 8-6 lead for Valiente.
Quiet throughout most of the game, Zavaleta took the ball from his own 60-yard line and used high-octane horsepower to run past the entire Coca-Cola team and finish off a long run. That gave Valiente a three-goal lead as time was running out for Coca-Cola.
Valiente zealously protected its lead, committing no fouls in the sixth chukker and providing Coca-Cola with zero penalty attempts in the second half — a key factor in slowing the Coca-Cola offense.
Valiente converted all three penalty attempts and took advantage of Coca-Cola shooting just one-for-six from the field in the second half. Cavanagh was the leading scorer on the day with six goals. Cambiaso added two goals, and Zavaleta had one goal in a strong team effort that leaves Valiente undefeated in 26-goal play this season.
Next up at IPC is the 26-goal U.S. Open Polo Championship, which caps the winter polo season.
The polo season at IPC runs through April 23 with a wide array of social options available each Sunday afternoon. For more info., visit www.internationalpoloclub.com.
ABOVE: Valiente’s Adolfo Cambiaso, Diego Cavanagh, Matias Torres Zavaleta and Bob Jornayvaz celebrate with the Gold Cup trophy.
